Renfrew zoning for small homes
Town of Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew. Population 8,190 (2021 census).
Backyard suite
A separate home in the yard of a house: garden suite, laneway suite or coach house, including prefab, modular or container units used this way.
Allowed · Renfrew’s term: “additional dwelling unit (ADU) in an accessory building”
By-law 2026-56 (passed June 16, 2026) permits one additional dwelling unit in a building accessory to a single detached, semi-detached or multiple attached dwelling where the main dwelling has no more than one ADU, on lots meeting the zone's minimum lot area and frontage with frontage on an open, maintained public road. The accessory building must follow the general accessory building rules; lots on private well/septic need more than 0.8 ha. [1][2]
- Number allowed
- Up to 2 ADUs per lot; max. 1 in an accessory building (where the main dwelling contains no more than 1 ADU) [1]
- Maximum height
- 4.5 m and no more than one storey (general accessory building rule, which ADU buildings must follow) [2]
- Setbacks
- Not in the minimum front yard or required exterior side yard; at least 1.5 m from other lot lines (0.6 m where rear yard abuts rear yard); no habitable room window may face an interior side or rear lot line unless the building meets the main dwelling's side and rear setbacks [2]
- Separation from house
- At least 4 m from another building on the lot that contains a dwelling unit [1]
- Parking
- 1 parking space per ADU (tandem permitted) [1]
- Servicing
- Must connect to the same municipal water and sewage system as the principal dwelling; on private well/septic, lot must exceed 0.8 ha (0.4–0.8 ha only by minor variance with engineering report) and waterfront lots are excluded [1]
- Minimum lot size
- Must meet the zone minimum lot area and frontage (R1 single detached on full services: 520 m²); over 0.8 ha where privately serviced [1]
- Where allowed
- Wherever a single detached, semi-detached or multiple attached dwelling is a permitted principal use; not in the EP zone except in an existing building [1]
Ontario-wide rule
Ontario law stops municipalities from banning one residential unit in a building ancillary to a detached house, semi-detached house or rowhouse on a parcel of urban residential land, as long as the lot has no more than three units in total. Municipalities still set most other zoning rules, but provincial law limits parking requirements, minimum unit size, lot coverage and separation distances. These units are also exempt from development charges and parkland dedication. [3][4][5]
Tiny home on a foundation
A small house as the main home on its own lot. The key rule is any minimum dwelling size.
Allowed with limits · Renfrew’s term: “single detached dwelling”
The R1 zone provisions (also applied to single detached dwellings in the R2 zone) set a minimum dwelling unit area of 75 m². The town has no rural zones. [2]
- Minimum dwelling size
- 75 m² dwelling unit area (R1 s. 5.2.1(g); R2 single detached refers to s. 5.2.1) [2]
Ontario-wide rule
Ontario law sets no minimum total size for a house that is the main dwelling. The Building Code sets minimum room areas, so the smallest compliant dwelling is roughly 17.5 m² by the Province's own estimate. Municipalities may still set minimum floor areas for main dwellings in their zoning by-laws. The provincial ban on minimum sizes covers only additional residential units. [3][6][7][8][9][10][11]
Tiny home on wheels or park model
Living full-time in a tiny home on wheels or a park model home.
Not allowed · Renfrew’s term: “mobile home / trailer / recreational vehicle”
Mobile homes are prohibited in all zones, and human habitation is not permitted in any vehicle, recreational vehicle, trailer or mobile home, whether or not on wheels. The by-law has no mobile home park zone and no garden suite provision. [2]
- Where allowed
- "Mobile homes are prohibited in all Zones" (s. 3.13) [2]
- Approvals
- Human occupation or habitation not permitted in any truck, bus, vehicle, recreational vehicle or trailer, streetcar body or mobile home whether or not mounted on wheels (s. 3.18.1) [2]
Ontario-wide rule
Ontario has no single rule for living full-time in a tiny home on wheels. A unit on wheels can count as a 'building' that needs a permit and must meet the Building Code once it stays in one place, is hooked up to services or is anchored. Park model trailers are recognized only as seasonal recreational buildings. Municipalities may allow a portable garden suite under a temporary-use by-law for up to 20 years, with extensions of up to 3 years each. [11][6][3][8][7]
Bunkie or sleeping cabin
A small sleeping building with no kitchen, usually beside a cottage or house.
Not allowed · Renfrew’s term: “sleep cabin”
The by-law defines a sleep cabin (up to two sleeping rooms, no cooking facilities), but no zone lists it as a permitted use, and no accessory building may be used for human habitation unless a dwelling is a permitted accessory use. Renfrew is an urban town with no rural or waterfront residential zones. [2]
- Approvals
- No accessory building or structure shall be used for human habitation except where a dwelling is a permitted accessory use (s. 3.3.2) [2]
Ontario-wide rule
Ontario law has no rule written specifically for bunkies or sleeping cabins. Whether one needs a building permit depends on the Building Code Act's definition of 'building' and the Code's shed exemption. That exemption covers only storage-use sheds, so it does not cover a structure used for sleeping. Municipal zoning rules for accessory buildings still apply. [8][6][3][12]
Official links
Last confirmed October 2026.
Notes and caveats
Sources
- Town of Renfrew PDF (renfrew.ca)
- Zoning By-law 46-2010
- Planning Act (Ontario e-Laws)
- O. Reg. 299/19: Additional residential units (Ontario e-Laws)
- Development Charges Act, 1997 (Ontario e-Laws)
- Government of Ontario PDF
- Build or buy a tiny home: Building Code requirements (Government of Ontario)
- Building Code Act, 1992 (Ontario e-Laws)
- O. Reg. 163/24: Ontario Building Code (Ontario e-Laws)
- 2024 Ontario Building Code (Government of Ontario)
- Build or buy a tiny home: permits and inspections (Government of Ontario)
- Building Code updates (Government of Ontario)
Not legal advice
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